India to develop lighter intercontinental missile capable of beating THAAD, S-500 air defence systems: Report
India is developing its next generation of intercontinental missiles, which is reportedly a significant step up from the Agni-5 in terms of range and effect. The project is reportedly being kept top secret, as its objective is to ensure it can evade the world's best missile defence systems, such as Russia's S-500, America's THAAD, and China's HQ-19.
The project aims to develop a missile that is not only powerful but also lighter than the Agni-5—the nuclear-capable, intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The platform is expected to carry 10 to 12 warheads and have a range exceeding 10,000 kilometres. The Agni-5's range is said to be between 5,000 and 5,500 km.
The use of Manoeuvrable Re-entry Vehicles (MaRVs), advanced decoys to deceive radars, and radar-absorbing coatings will be key to beating the S-500, THAAD, and similar systems. A Manoeuvrable Re-entry Vehicle (MaRV) is a type of ballistic missile payload designed to change its flight path after re-entering the Earth's atmosphere. A MaRV's capability to change its trajectory makes it possible to evade enemy missile defence systems.
Earlier reports indicated that the design of the new missile was completed in 2025, Mathrubhumi said in a report. The technology of the K-5 and K-6 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs), launched from under the sea, is being used for the development of the new missile, the daily claimed. As K-5 missiles are designed to be stored in submarine launch tubes, making use of the same technology will help the new, undisclosed weapon operate faster and more efficiently.
It is expected to carry warheads weighing up to three tonnes. To reduce its own weight, "advanced composite materials" will be used in place of steel parts, the Mathrubhumi report said. This will help reduce the missile's weight by more than 20 per cent, as using these components in the missile's engine casings and other parts will increase fuel efficiency and range.
